20 February 2009 / by Rachael Stiles

Equity release provider Home & Capital is trying to bridge the generation gap between grandparents and grandchildren with the creation of the Gran Slang Dictionary.

Older people have access to a wealth of information about their grandchildren's slang, with various books and articles having been written on how 'bad' actually means 'good', and if someone's 'fit' it doesn't necessarily mean that they can run a marathon.

But Home & Capital noticed a gap in the market for when it comes to Grandparents' communications with the younger generation, and so they have compiled a list of gran-isms so that grandchildren might better comprehend what the older generation is talking about.

For example, if someone from the older generation accused a mischievous child of 'tomfoolery', the child might become 'flabbergasted' by their 'dolally' grandparents. Without the Gran Slang Dictionary, unsuspecting children might not know what their grandparents are trying to tell them.

Many retired people use equity release to help out their family, such as contributing for a grandchild to go to university, or helping them to buy their first home, so Home & Capital's new translation might help younger people to have a firmer grasp on their grandparents' era.

"Many of the words used by teenagers today are incomprehensible to older generations, but it must be equally baffling for younger people trying to get to grips with the lexicon of their grandparents." explained managing director of Home & Capital equity release, Nigel Hare-Scott.

"Understanding is a two-way street – and that’s where the "gran slang" dictionary comes in." he adds.

"Slang has been an important part of youth culture for the past century. It’s certainly not a new phenomenon. The language adopted by young people is constantly evolving and changes dramatically from generation to generation. But it’s very interesting to see how many words are cyclical and are reincarnated."